Last year Bob Reynolds merged three businesses to create Empower, the second-biggest retirement plan provider in the business. The Putnam [profile] chief (who now also leads Putnam sibling Great-West Financial and Putnam parent Great-West Lifeco U.S.) put one of his key lieutenants, Ed Murphy, in charge of Empower. Murphy is putting his leadership team in place. Fundsters with DC I-O teams or aspirations, pay attention.

When Murphy took over Empower in the fall, he laid out the first layer beneath him with executives from each of the three combined retirement plan providers (Great-West, Putnam, and J.P. Morgan): Van Harlow leading strategic solutions; Stephen Jenks leading marketing; David Musto overseeing the large and mega markets, as well as 403(b)s; and Charlie Nelson over core and government markets as well as the FASCore outsourced recordkeeping business.

Last week Murphy told MFWire's sister publication, 401kWire, next rung of his leadership team.

Bill McDermott, a Fidelity veteran (like Murphy and Reynolds) who worked at Goldman before joining J.P. Morgan, continues to report to Musto and now leads Empower's large and mega market sales and relationship management.

Bill Harmon, a Great-West veteran, now leads Empower's core market sales and reports to Nelson.

Barbara Lewis, a Pru alumnus who also worked at American Century, J.P. Morgan and Wells Fargo, and joined Great-West in 2013, now leads specialty market sales (like 403(b)s) and reports to McDermott.

Mike MacWade, another Fido veteran, now reports to McDermott and leads Empower's large and mega market relationship management.

Steve McKay, a Hartford and MFS alumnus who most recently worked at Putnam, now leads large market sales and reports to McDermott.

Brent Neese, another Great-West veteran, reports to Nelson and leads Empower's government market sales.

And Lee Stevens, a J.P. Morgan veteran, reports to McDermott and leads Empower's mega market sales. 

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